The "Official" Onkyo TX-SR608 Thread (No Price Talk) - Page 21

I called Onkyo Support today and went through my connections, which turned out to be fine. Was told my problem is with my Blu-Ray player settings or my hdmi to dvi (hdcp).

I then connected my Blu-Ray directly to my HDTV via hdmi to dvi like I used to, made a few setting changes including changing output resolution from 'auto' to '1080i'.

I connected my Blu-Ray to the 608 via hdmi and 608 to HDTV via hdmi to dvi and fired it up (thinking here goes nothing).

To my surprise, I saw Avatar on the screen ! I also got to see dts-HD MSTR on the front of the 608 for the first time !

Guess I get to keep this wonderful unit after all !

(man this old Mitsubishi CRT RP HDTV has become quite a good investment, playing nice with my new gear, can continue to hold off on a 3D set !)

Question about the 608 with the PS3. I have everything hooked up via HDMI. I read in another thread that because I have the "fat" PS3 I had to set it to Linear PCM to get HD audio. When I play a movie on screen it will show that its being output to TrueHD or DTS Master, but I can't get the receiver itself to show any Dolby or True HD icons, images, text.. anything. Does anyone have an idea where I might be going wrong ?

you're not going wrong, everything is right.

the fat ps3's can't output the raw TrueHD or DTS Master in bitstream for the AVR to decode, only the already decoded LPCM. Since the AVR isn't doing the decoding, the lights don't go on, but trust me, you're getting exactly the same audio, just decoded by the ps3 instead.

Hope this isn't too dumb a question, so here goes...

I have a 5.1 speaker setup which will suffice to the grave. Virtually all my movie watching is BluRay in DTS-HD. My viewing is 80-20 TV to movies. I have never heard THX sound so I maybe don't know what I'm missing. As a result, I am considering the SC260 vs the 608.

It seems the 260 lacks the THX listening modes and PC input but is otherwise the same.

My 2 questions are: 1) based on my listening/viewing habits, would I find THX a plus? and 2) would I be making a mistake to save a few bucks?

I appreciate the help folks provide here. Thanks.

Does this receiver matrix the back two channels from 5.1 to 7.1 no matter what the incoming signal is (like PCM, DDTHD, DTSMA and so on)? I know in orvious models you needed the 70x model for this feature.

As others have said - LPCM out of the PS3 is Lossless Audio.
The Display button on the PS3 will indicate TrueHD or DTS-MA.

That means your receiver is not doing the decoding and therefore no lights will be on.

If you are interested in other PS3 FAQ - you can find the answers HERE

Wow, I didn't expect the upgrade from the 607 to the 608 to be this significant. THX certification AND HDMI 1.4? I'm in heaven.

If I am in the wrong place please forgive me as I am a rookie here. I have a question about the 608. I have the Polk M70, M60, M50, and just ordered the DSW PRO 600. Will the 608 drive all of these is a 7.1 and eventually 7.2 setup or should I go for something with more power. I currently have the 507 but only have the M70, M40, and a lower end Polk sub in a 5.1 set-up. My new rec area will be 28x13.4. Thanks in advance for suggestions or direction of where I should ask this question.

Hey every body. I hope evey one is enjoying their new toy. I am!

I do have a few questions though. I setup the Audessey 2EQ and ran it. It came back with these results. I am not sure if their good or bad. If i need to adjust them and if thats possible. Can yall please help?

Subwoofer Yes

Front 120hz

Center 90hz

Surround 150hz

Surround Back 80hz THX

Surround Back 2ch

My 7.1 set up. Most enjoyment is done thru HT PC / quad core q6600 overclocked asus p5e computer (computer is on the other side of the laundry door / in laundry room with a momentary switch / project box and wire spliced into mother board's power turn on lead with momentary switch @ the desk = no fan noise and no heat from computer),,,,, with EVGA8800gts video card thru DVI to HDMI cable from monoprice.com and creative 7.1 sound blaster x-fi titanium fatality professional 24bit 96khz pce express card... Just played 2 hours of crysis at full 1080p with 7.1 sound upconverted thru 5.1 off the card's optical toslink input = FRIGGEN AMAZING!!! TV = 1080p sony 46" LCD. Also 100" electric movie screen with optoma 1080p HD20 projector with rockfish bluetooth keyboard/mouse on portable lap tray...... Also have phillips 1080p upconvert DVD player / 160gb DVR player thru HDMI. Most killer set up IMO with the Onkyo TX-SR608. My 608's settings below for my polk audio speakers in which im 95% sure these are the settings I'm sticking with.. I'm sure your HZ settings would be different depending on the speakers you own... Put it this way, my speaker set up = 6 total 6.25" speakers, 8 total 5.25" speakers, 7 total 1" tweeters, and a 300 watts Continuous Average Output Dynamic Power 12" sub..... That's 22 total individual speakers = whole lot of kick a$$ going on.


2 @ polk audio 70's (front mains) set @ 60hz (just the right amount of overlap with sub, but not too much to out phase)

1 @ polk audio cs2 (center) set @ 80hz thx

2 @ polk audio 50's (side surrounds) set @ 80hz thx

2 @ polk audio 50's (rear surrounds) set @ 80hz / thx, 2channel

1 @ polk audio psw505 (sub box) set @ LPF OF LPE 80hz,,, box set @ 0phase (not 180 = too boomy)


After insane amount of testing with HZ, I found the above settings for my onkyo608 and polk audio speakers was the best for all around sound from movies, music, and PC gaming diretional sound control. At first I used all 40hz with full band on the front towers (and dont get me wrong, the BASS WAS AWESOME!!),,,,, but I noticed some loss in PC gaming directional sound (for example an enemy coming from the side or from behind), once i moved a good quantity of bass to strictly the sub, then my PC gaming directional hearing greatly improved and music was much much more clear!!!.... So far, I've locked this into my 608.

LISTENING MODE = THX SELECT 2 CINEMA = This mode expands 5.1 channel sources for 7.1 channel playback. It does this by analyzing the composition off the surround source, optimizing the abient and directional sound to produce the surround back channel output.


The 608 pushes all my speakers really well, more volume than I would ever need and there is no reason why I would need an additional amp. My volume never goes past 1/2 way / 55... and if I do the drywall starts to fall down from the ceiling and the neighbors are calling the cops.


The fan in the 608 keeps the receiver really really cool.. Not in a cabinet... On a standing shelf with really good air flow. The built in fan inside the 608 receiver keeps the unit @ room temp touch.


Screen / projector is not up yet as the basement / theatre was just finished. Waiting on monoprice 4x2 hdmi switch and extra 30'hdmi cable. Should be up soon, and 100" electric screen will come down right in front of 46" LCD screen.




ELFY1234

For 5.1 to7.1 I'm currently use THX Select2 Cinema, and think it sounds good.
The listening mode chart is great for determining what you can do for a particular source.

THX certification has nothing to do with whether an AVR can handle 4ohms, but it is nice to hear people are using 4ohms with the 608 without problems. I bet the better cooling helps.


Its my understanding the some of the THX modes do similar things to some of the Audyssey modes like Dynamic EQ and Volume. So you wouldn't be loosing much by not having them since you can just use the Audyssey version of it. I preordered the 608 before the RC260 was even announced, but personally if I were buying now and the RC260 were a fair amount cheaper I'd get it instead. Looking at the specs on Onkyo's website it doesn't even look like they gimped the power (like they did with last year's RC160 and RC180).

I thought they were high to. Where do i find the speaker and frequency range?

It would depend on your in room response as far as audyessy goes. Not what someone else gets in their room. All rooms are different. I see a lot of you are running you mains at full band. Is that because your subs cant handle it? You should be running your full range mains at like 80 hz, or so, and letting the powered sub do the heavy lifting. This frees up more amp on your 608 to really drive your speakers better.

I was not pleased with the results the 608's Odyssey returned for me, although I did accidentally forget to plug in my subwoofer before running it. If you've got identical front & center speakers shouldn't they have the same hz? Anyway, I changed all my speakers to 120hz for now since that's what mine are recommended to run at.

The fronts and center won't necessarily be set at the same hz; the center has different material sent to it (like most of the vocals) than the fronts, and it will also depend on the placement of the center. If it's higher/lower than the fronts, off-axis, etc...Audyssey takes those things into account when setting them up. Just keep in mind, any auto-set up is not an absolute for everyone's home theater system. Everybody hears things differently, and a system that may seem set perfectly for one person may sound horriable to another. That's why Audyssey allows you to tweak it once it's done. So play around with it until it sounds perfect to YOU!

How do you guys have THX Select 2? I'm only getting THX Cinema and THX Cinema with Neo: 6, that's 5.1 and 6.1 but no 7.1?


Damn, I changed all my values, don't suppose Audyssey saves the original?

I was thinking of replacing my Onkyo 805, with a HDMI 1.4 reciever because I'm expecting my Samsung 55C8000 this week also. Is there any point since according to your response 3d would work fine with the 805? How about HD audio?

Select2 only accepts 5.1,7.1,.and /dts es. Your settings accept 2.0 as well. Check your source. Mine is a cable box set to 5.1.

No, but it only takes a few minutes to run it again. Honestly, I think all these Audyssey questions can be better answered in the Audyssey thread. Also, the Audyssey FAQ posted there may answer most of these questions. Not being pissy, just trying to be helpful.

Audyssey set most of mine at like 40hz but I went in and changed them all to 80hz. That is what most of you will want to be running yours at. If you have a good sub setting them to 80hz will allow the deep bass to be sent to your sub which is what the sub is made for. Also, setting them at 80hz takes more of the load off each speaker and the receiver since they aren't trying to produce the deep bass. This is especially true for those running their fronts as full band. Here is the best guide to setting up for bass, your sub, and the hz: http://forum.blu-ray.com/subwoofers/...anagement.html

5.1
Movies: DD or DTS. If 2-ch, then PLII Movie
5.1 Cable: DD unless 2-ch, then PLII Movie
Music: PLII Music
Gaming: PLII Games

It has taken a little bit of research to understand this because the manual isn't clear about what the receiver will display when outputting a multi channel PCM track.

For those of us with HD audio decoding players ie. PS3, my Toshiba HD-A2 HD-dvd player. Setting the player to PCM output will decode the HD-audio track and send it to the receiver already decoded. The Onkyo will only display PCM on the screen because it isn't doing any of the decoding and doesn't know if it's 2ch, 5.1 or 7.1. You have to confirm from the players side that is it outputting the full-hd track.

With that confusion aside I'm extremely impressed with this receivers abilities. I'm new to this but so far my listening has taken place at about 62 volume level which is -20 below THX ref. I think my eardrums might bleed if I cranked it all the way up to THX!!!

I have had a problem with my HD-DVR from AT&T uverse dropping audio for a quick second every minute or so on Dolby D 5.1 tracks. Is anyone else having this issue or know a workaround? If I sent uverse to 2ch stereo and matrix it to 5.1 its fine but that suck!!!

The digital audio dropout on Uverse is a known bug. Much discussed in the Att Uverse forum.

Thanks phenwick. I'll check it out there.